Miscellaneous stuff I think I know about Cuba

Old Havana is 500 years old and the biggest colonial city in the world.   Inside the external doors are beautiful courtyards and cisterns for collecting water during  the rainy season.

Tourism is the number one industry in Cuba with an increase from 1 million 10 years ago to three million last year.

Cubans love baseball and while I was here, Cuba won a playoff game with Japan 6-0. 

Even though we supposedly have no diplomatic relations with Cuba, on the water in the suburb of Miramar is a large building called the American Interest Section.  Fidel built a plaza outside where large concerts are held to annoy the American.  The American put neon slogans on the side of the building.  The Cubans installed 70 flagpoles flying black flags that blocked the view of the slogans.  A truce finally ensued, the music stopped, the slogans stopped and the flags came down, and all that is left is the flagpoles—just in case.

The only sculpture of Fidel in Cuba is on a street corner in Vedado.  Having statues of him was considered anti socialist, but his and many other revolutionary leaders are ever-present in billboard, walls, everywhere. 

All rock music was forbidden and Fidel’s “listening to the people” and realizing that they liked the Beatles resulted in a statue of John Lennon sitting on a park bench.  The Yellow Submarine Café is next door.  This is Jim,  our group director with John Lennon's statue.

The National Hotel, famous in part for a meeting between Lucky Luciano and Al Capone, was used in a scene from  “The Godfather”.

Colon Cemetery is the oldest in the city and has over 2 million residents.  Currently people only get to stay for 2 years and there is an industry removing and cleaning the bones to return to the family—or you can do it yourself.  It is a work of art, and above is one of several funerals going on while we were there for an hour.

Committee for the Defense of the Revolution has block meeting where neighbors get together.  We actually went to a CDR meeting in Santa Maria, but since it was during the mourning period for Chavez, no music, no party, no rum.  Initially these meeting were political and to keep everyone on task for the goals of the revolution, but now, it’s more social and problem-solving and the discussion center more on what color to paint the house and how to keep the streets clean.  The CDR meeting we attended was also attended by the neighborhood doctor and nurse and the people were not only interested in telling us how great socialism is, but seemed genuinely interested in the US and asked all kinds of questions including “is blood banking voluntary in the US?”.

Raul Castro is the president of the last 2 years.  He fought in the Revolution alongside Fidel and Che and his wife was also a revolutionary hero.  Again, their pictures watch over the people.

There are lots of community arts projects that whole neighborhoods participate in.  Below is the director of one of these just outside of Havana that used to be a slum.  Volunteers removed 4 feet of garbage on this corner and a local artist installed the new art instead of garbage for the neighbors to look at.  This area is called Muraleando.   The rest of the neighborhood is full of murals and other art projects by locals.  

The most touted operation in Cuba is the “Miracle Operation” that people come from all over Central and South America to have.  Finally we found out that it’s cataract surgery with a lens implant.

Cuba claims to have extremely low substance abuse and basically no drug problem, but there are addiction programs for alcohol. 

The slaves that worked the sugar cane field have left a legacy of a very colorful mix of West African native beliefs mixed with Catholicism.  Some wear very colorful outfits and the Santeria are dressed in all white and Santerias worship native gods who are disguised as Catholic saints.  Fidel was thought to be a believer and a very superstitious person. Above are some of these colorful women.

The birth rate is Cuba is 1.4

Each municipality  has a cultural center where children are encouraged to participate in dance and music programs.  If kids show talent they are encouraged and mentored to go on to arts schools.  Again, free.  Above are little ballerinas that we watched perform.  So cute! 
Below is the music  project close to Bay of Pigs that we didn't get to hear play because of the "mourning for Hugo Chavez"--give new meaning to the day the music died!

The Wet Foot/Dry Foot policy states that any Cuban who can step on dry ground in the US can receive asylum.

Elian Gonzales is now a 20 year old college student in Cardenas and pro-Fidel.

There is music everywhere.  Mostly older men playing guitars and singing.  This is the port of Coliminar where Hemingway kept his boat, the Pilar.  It was confiscated along with his house after his death in 1961.

The Bay of Pigs is actually a beautiful, turquoise bay! There name for Bay  of Pigs is Giron.

The Cuban story about the Bay of Pigs is very different from the story we learned in school!  Fidel’s strategy was to use as many anti-Batista groups as he could for his cause.  It was only after the revolution that many people realized he was a Communist.  

Internet service is worse than Gambia!!!  By far.